I am a hero of the former civilization.

"I guess it's a relief, but as a friend, it's good that he didn't have to go through all that pain." Ryan lowered his hand; there was nothing to be proud of.

He didn't want to kill anyone, and he didn't want to be caught between life and death, but what could he do? He could only blame his bad luck.

"Hey, who are you two! What are you doing in my yard?!"

As they were talking, a loud shout silenced Ryan. He turned around and saw a man standing in front of the gate next to the courtyard.

He was wearing a black, double-breasted martial arts uniform. He was broad-shouldered and burly, about 1.9 meters tall, with gray hair tied in a small braid, a full beard, and light blue eyes that were as wide as copper bells. He was holding a stick thicker than his arm.

It looked incredibly fierce, so fierce that it would frighten ordinary people. But Ryan and Sakura had seen countless grand scenes, so of course they weren't intimidated by its imposing presence.

"Is this Hua's father?" Ying asked quietly.

"Yes, her greatest enemy is also my master, named Fu."

Sakura sized him up. His rugged and bold appearance was indeed far from gentle. Moreover, how could such a rough man have a daughter as beautiful as a flower? The genetic mutation must be quite severe.

"Hey, what are you whispering about? Are you going to get out of here yourselves, or should I beat you out?!" The man assumed a horse stance, gripping both ends of the stick in a strange posture.

“Master, you’ve been researching the Inch Heart Cudgel these days.” Knowing the other’s temperament, Ryan quickly took off his hood.

The man narrowed his eyes, took a closer look, and then suddenly released his grip, delivering a perfect spinning back kick.

His posture was cool, and he was very strong. The wooden stick was as fast as a javelin, but it was too slow for Ryan.

He reached out and grabbed it, casually planting it on the ground. Then he saw a figure rushing towards him, embracing him like a bear, patting his back with a thud.

"You've finally come back, kid! You haven't even called in so long. Aren't you being a bit disrespectful to your master?"

"It's only been three years, don't act like it's been ten years." Ryan let him hug him, feeling the fist that had once made him grimace now feel like a massage. "Besides, I asked for your phone number, but Hua wouldn't give it to me."

"This girl, she hasn't been back for over a year, and she doesn't even let you visit this old man. Oh well, I know you're busy with big projects." Fu didn't really know much about their work, only that they had joined the Fire Moth, so he let go of their hands, pressed down on Ryan's shoulder, and smiled on his rugged face.

"Not bad, not bad, you've gotten even stronger. It's a pity we can't get in touch with those guys, otherwise they'd be green with envy. Your body's like iron. Have you mastered my Inch Heart Fist technique?"

“Yes, I’ve killed many villains and saved many people with my fists.” Ryan nodded solemnly.

"That's good. My Inch Heart Fist is all about upholding justice." The old man stroked his beard with satisfaction, then looked at Sakura: "You must be Rin's older sister, right?"

"Hello, Master Fu, thank you for your help these past few days." Ying bowed, her hand resting on the hilt of her knife.

The young girl was full of heroic spirit, just like a sharp blade hidden in its sheath. This feeling of being of the same kind made Fu nod slightly, and he also muttered to himself.

That girl has absolutely no chance of winning.

Even his own daughter, he had to admit that she was superior to Hua in looks, figure, and even ability, and couldn't help but complain about her shyness.

"Your mother was so fierce back then; she took me right there in the cornfield by the river, and only got married after she got pregnant with you. Why can't you learn from her?"

He had long regarded Ryan as his son-in-law, and only in his hands could the Cunxin Fist be carried forward and developed.

"master?"

"Ah, Rin is very well-behaved; she's practicing her boxing in the backyard."

"Practicing boxing?" Sakura was a little surprised. Her younger sister couldn't endure hardship and had never been exposed to swordsmanship since childhood.

"Hmm, she kept pestering me to teach her, but she has a good foundation. She might be a martial arts prodigy. Well, since I have nothing else to do, I'll teach her." Fu stroked his beard, looking quite satisfied.

To be chosen by the Honkai to become a Herrscher, one must be a prodigy.

Ryan wasn't surprised. To become a Herrscher's vessel, one must first have extremely strong Honkai energy resistance, and anyone who possesses that is extremely talented, which in a sense can guarantee a successful transformation surgery.

"Alright, it's good to have some self-defense skills in this world. Since she wants to help, let her learn." Ryan smiled and waved his hand. Sakura bowed slightly and quickly walked towards the backyard.

This sister-obsessed guy had been itching to get going for a while, and was probably even quite pleased. Just as he was about to follow, his shoulder was pressed down again.

"Hey kid, shouldn't you have a couple of drinks with me?"

"What would you like to talk about, Master?"

"It's about you and Hua, why haven't you responded for so long?"

Ryan felt a chill run down his spine, and he could roughly guess the third reason why Hua didn't want to come back: Fu was desperately trying to match them up, and the girl was too shy to accept it.

If it were Hua who came back with me, I guess the invitations would have already been sent out and the banquet would have been prepared.

Ryan knew his master's unconventional personality better than anyone, but before he could even speak, he was dragged into the house.

It was evening when the sound of a spatula came from the kitchen. Ryan paced back and forth in the living room, a smile never fading from his lips.

Everything was arranged the same as it had been eight years ago, as if we had returned to the time when we were traveling and learning. Back then, Ryan was weak and had to work hard to deal with guns, but he didn't have any burdens and he couldn't see the apocalypse.

Occasionally, they would encounter a few Honkai Beasts, and then the Fire Moths, like a secret department in a novel, would quietly take care of them without disturbing their peaceful daily lives.

It's only been a few years.

You don't realize it on ordinary days, but when you really get lost in memories, you feel like it's all a dream. In just a few years, the world has changed so much, but some things stubbornly remain the same, which is especially evident in this familiar living room.

"Brother Ryan!"

Just as he was feeling sentimental, a surprised voice came from behind him. He turned around and saw a pink figure rushing towards him and crashing headfirst into his chest.

Ryan took a half step back and saw the girl caressing his chest before raising her bright little face.

"It's been a long time."

“Ling, you’ve grown up a lot.” Ryan patted her head. It had been more than a year since he last saw her, and the girl had almost grown up to his chin.

“I’m already fourteen years old, don’t treat me like a little kid like an older sister.” Ling wrinkled her nose, her still-childish face looking very cute. Then she took a half step back and raised her fair arm. “Master Fu praised me for my superhuman strength. No one in town can beat me. Come on, I’ll teach you a set of Inch Heart Fist.”

As sisters, she and Sakura have completely different personalities. She is extremely lively and, before Ryan could even agree, she started punching with great force.

The setting sun shone through the window like a spotlight on her. Ryan glanced at Sakura, who had a faint smile in the shadows, then looked at the photos of the past leaders of the Inch Heart Fist around the living room, and finally settled on a photo of a woman who looked seven parts like Hua.

The world has become unfamiliar, but some stubborn things remain in the past.

Chapter 302 Eden was also a hero!

Perhaps they clicked, because Ryan and Ling had only been together for a few days, but she was not at all reserved. She was practicing boxing in a sailor uniform, and it was only when Master Fu, who had finished cooking, came out that she stopped him.

"How many times have I told you? You need to change into pants when practicing martial arts. Do you think wearing a skirt will distract your opponent?" Fu shouted, carrying two plates.

"Hehe, this is also a tactic, and I'm wearing safety shorts underneath."

"Find a fight!"

The girl stuck out her tongue, quickly hid behind her older sister, and then peeked out and made a face.

Fu wasn't angry. He put the soup bowl on the table and stroked his thick beard. "Sigh, every time I see Ling, I feel like I was too strict with her. Her mother died early, and I raised her like a boy."

Upon hearing this, Sakura suddenly realized why Hua had such a rigid personality and disliked wearing skirts or brightly colored clothes. It was no wonder she was so cute, having been raised by such a tough and masculine man.

She glanced at the photo, her expression darkening slightly.

"It's okay, I'll treat Sister Hua like my own sister, and I'll definitely make her as cute as me," Ling interjected, making everyone laugh.

Old habits die hard; Ryan couldn't imagine that wooden stake being so lively.

"Alright, alright, sit down and eat. I just slaughtered two chickens, that should be enough." Fu pulled out a stool, sat down with an air of authority, and took out a jar of wine. "You'll drink with me, kid. We'll drink until we're both drunk."

Ryan rarely drinks, but he didn't refuse either. He unbuttoned his collar and picked up the wine bowl.

"Respect the master, respect the master's wife."

Without saying a word, Ryan tilted his head back and gulped it all down into his mouth, then wiped his lips.

"Your liquor is still so strong."

"Ha, you're more straightforward than before." Fu also tilted his head back and drank it all, then poured two more bowls. "You're clearly a top-notch martial artist, but sometimes you act like a scholar. That's more like it."

His thick beard was covered in wine beads as he pointed to the photos above his head: "The era of martial artists is long gone. No kung fu is as good as a pistol, haha. And look what happened, you've taken that era back. Back then, a girl like this carrying a sword would have been sent to the police station as a lunatic."

"I didn't take it back. It's just a matter of the times. Without Honkai energy, I couldn't beat the bullets."

"what about now?"

Ryan raised his glass, his expression disdainful: "Firearms are all garbage. My fists can shatter mountains and split seas. Even a Herrscher would be turned into mincemeat."

"Well said, let's do it!" Fu laughed. He didn't know what a Lawyer was, but his disciple was awesome. "Back then, you were more farsighted. You insisted that Hua continue learning boxing. Now it's finally coming in handy."

Back then, he intended for Hua to focus on his studies. In modern society, no matter how well one trains in boxing, the best one can do is fight in the ring. It was Ryan who strongly opposed this, which laid a good foundation for Hua's future.

Without using Honkai energy to evaporate, after downing two large bowls of wine, Ryan was slightly tipsy, and his voice gradually became louder.

"Hua is not weak now; he can definitely hold down a major region."

"Can we beat those monsters on TV? I think some of them are bigger than a six-story building."

"A tank-class Honkai Beast can be blasted into mincemeat with just one finger."

Fu Wei opened her mouth wide. As an old boxer, she could hardly imagine how a human fist could kill such a huge monster. Then she was filled with pride.

"The ancestors' things are still useful. We'll have to burn a few more incense sticks later. That girl is really something. She's become so strong but never told me. She always says the same few things."

“That’s just Hua’s personality. She doesn’t want you to worry.” Ryan picked up the wine jar and filled two bowls. Suddenly, he remembered something and turned to look at Sakura, who was whispering to her sister.

"Take out the information terminal and retrieve Hua's combat records, just use the section on the rainforest sweep operation."

Fu couldn't understand a word. He took the tablet with a puzzled look in his eyes, then the wrinkles around his eyes smoothed out and his eyes slowly widened.

This was taken by a high-altitude drone. A girl wearing a tight-fitting combat suit and with a ponytail is running through a dense forest, leaving a crimson trail behind her with Honkai energy.

Dozens of giant monsters lay ahead, making even the towering trees appear tiny, but the girl showed no fear and only kept accelerating.

This is Hua, his daughter. In slow motion, he sees the meteor pause, and then he sees his daughter on all fours like a tiger.

boom--

The immense wind pressure uprooted large trees and caused drones flying high in the sky to sway precariously.

"It's about shrinking the earth to an inch, and then connecting it to a collapsing mountain!"

He saw the girl's elbow blast a monster in two at the waist, and then, stepping on the half-destroyed body, she used her strength to smash her raised fist into the monster's skull. The force spread from the top of its head to its feet, and the huge body was covered in cracks and instantly shattered into pieces.

"Penetrating force. Shattering rock? And using the recoil to turn, this posture—"

A peacock-like monster swooped down from the sky. The girl stood firmly on the ground, her right fist surrounded by layers of crimson aura, and she unleashed a punch towards the heavens.

"Inch Force. Heaven-Opening!!"

Fu roared as if he were there, and saw the monster and the drone blasted into pieces. He put down his tablet, his face flushed, and he was speechless for a long time.

He actually believed Ryan's words, but he didn't see it for himself. Others might be frightened if they saw it, but Fu only felt a deep sense of pride as a father and a sect leader.

After sitting there for a moment, he suddenly tilted his head back and drank the wine in one gulp. He then walked quickly to the incense burner, lit a long incense stick, and respectfully performed three bows.